work-on-the-boards
Business Conditions at Firms Still Slowing in November
Firms place weak economy as top business concern for 2004
Billings at architecture firms dipped again in November, the fourth decline in the past five months. Though 60 percent of firms reported stable billings in November compared to October, almost a quarter reported a decline over the month. Inquiries for new work continued to grow at a slower pace than in October.

Huzzah! National Trust Succeeds in Bid for Farnsworth House
The architecture profession and the public at large received an early holiday present December 12 when the National Trust and the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois placed the successful $6.7 million bid to acquire Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Plano, Ill. The purchase includes the surrounding 57 acres and outbuildings, allowing the Trust to pledge to keep the house in the natural surroundings for which it was designed. The AIA board of directors voted to contribute $100,000 to help save the house. Visit the Trust’s Web site for details. (Photo © Jon Miller.)

AIA Officer Nominations Open; Filing Date Is April 12
Twelve architects have declared their candidacy for three offices
Elections for the Institute’s next first vice president/president-elect, vice presidents, and secretary will be held in June at the 2004 AIA National Convention and Expo in Chicago. Members interested in running for one of these offices may receive filing forms and further instructions by contacting AIA General Counsel Jay Stephens (jstephens@aia.org or 202-626-7379) or Director of Governance Administration Pam Kortan (pkortan@aia.org or 202-626-7305). The deadline for filing nominating petitions and other materials is 5:00 p.m., Monday, April 12, 2004.

New Aviation Museum Takes Flight
Check out HOK’s design on your next Dulles layover
Marking the 100th anniversary of the advent of flight, the Smithsonian Institution on December 11 dedicated the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., a companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., for display and preservation of the museum’s collection of large historic aviation and space artifacts. The HOK-designed complex, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive aviation and space museum, occupies a series of hangars on a 176.5-acre site a few miles from the main terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport.

EPA Honors Model Community Smart Growth Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized five communities last month for their innovative approaches to smart-growth projects, pointing to them as examples of how the principles of livable communities can be realized. The ventures, feted at the EPA’s National Smart Growth Achievement Awards ceremony at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., ranged from the revitalization of a brownfields site and renewal of an urban center to rehabilitation and reuse of a military housing complex.

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Takes Shape
Architect of the Capitol Alan M. Hantman, FAIA, invited (from left) 2003 AIA President Thompson E. Penney, FAIA; AIA EVP/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA; 2004 AIA President Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA; and (not shown) 2004 AIA First Vice President Douglas L Steidl, FAIA, to tour the construction site of the 580,000-square feet, three-level visitor center December 2. [PDF download from aoc.gov] “Even underground, the new facility preserves the geometry of the Olmsted Plan,” Penney said of the design. “A series of skylights provides dramatic views of the Capitol Dome that constantly remind you, in an awe-inspiring way, of just where you are. This project is taking the long view of its historic relevance that the people of the U.S. deserve. The role of the Architect of the Capitol goes beyond the care of that building. It is a leadership role and demonstrates the value of the problem-solving abilities of architects.”

PROJECT WATCH
HKS Turns Sabre Headquarters Green
Sabre Holdings Corporation, a provider of technology and marketing for the travel industry, desired to create an economical, sustainable, and “retreat-like environment” for its 3,000 employees. To realize their vision, the company turned to Dallas-based HKS architects to design a 450,000-square-foot, two-building corporate campus situated on a heavily wooded site in Southland, Tex. The project is phase one of a master-planned, 2-million-square-foot, 10-building campus.

Former AIA President Ben Brewer Dies
The AIA is saddened to report that Benjamin E. Brewer Jr., FAIA, who served in 1988–’89 as the 65th president of the AIA, passed away December 17. He was 71 years old.

The AIA Angle
The AIA Angle, the AIA members’ source for government news, comes out every two weeks. Here are the stories in this issue. WTC Investigation Focuses on Fireproofing: Officials’ questions may lead to building-code changes. States Look to Create Brownfields Incentives: Tax credits and subsidized environmental insurance programs intended to lure developers, investors. AIA Presses for Implementation of A-76 Circular: Process offers greater access to government contracts and opens the procurement process. For these stories and more, visit the AIA Angle Web page.

Your Kiplinger Connection (members only)
Trade: A new lumber deal with Canada? NASA spinoffs: More commercial uses for space materials. The economy: Holiday sales point to a banner year.
AIArchitect offers AIA members exclusive access to three stories a week to help them manage their practices and plan for the coming year. Nonmembers may subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.

Happy Holidays!
In honor of this glorious season, AIArchitect This Week will not be published the last week of December. Look for your next copy by e-mail January 2. The AIArchitect staff wishes all a joyous holiday season and health, peace, and prosperity in 2004.

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